Mecklenburg sheriff’s office employee accused of stabbing coworker in the jail

A fingerprint examiner at the Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office has been arrested after stabbing a colleague inside the jail, according to the sheriff’s office.

LaKisha Easter stabbed someone at the jail’s arrest processing center on Monday, a news release said.

“Easter produced a knife and stabbed a fellow employee multiple times, resulting in serious but non-life-threatening injuries,” the news release said. “MCSO staff immediately responded, restraining Easter.”

Easter worked for the sheriff’s office since April 2012. She was fired Monday, according to the release.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg police arrested her, the release said. Sheriff Garry McFadden called it an “isolated and extremely unfortunate event.”

Ryan Oehrli covers criminal justice in the Charlotte region for The Charlotte Observer. His work is produced with financial support from the nonprofit The Just Trust. The Observer maintains full editorial control of its journalism.

This story was originally published June 2, 2025 at 4:03 PM.

Ryan Oehrli

The Charlotte Observer

Ryan Oehrli writes about criminal justice for The Charlotte Observer. His reporting has delved into police misconduct, jail and prison deaths, the state’s pardon system and more. He was also part of a team of Pulitzer finalists who covered Hurricane Helene. A North Carolina native, he grew up in Beaufort County.